3 Ways to Get What You Want

February 15, 2012

“How you start your day is how you live your day, and how you live your day is the way you live your life.”~Louise Hay.

If you’re seeking success, there’s really no difference between who you are now and who you want to become. It’s a matter of applying that feeling of success everyday until you meet your goals. Here is a very simple, 3-step formula you can follow to get all that you desire:

Act as if. Act as if you are already where you want to be. Imagine your biggest dream came true last week: all that you’ve been wishing on is now yours! Does that change anything about your day? Would you be wearing what you have on? Would you be doing what you had planned? Would your mood be the same?

To change your present attitude and act as if you already have what you want, think of the role models in your life, the people whom you admire. When you find yourself in a funk, or you’re struggling to make a decision, or you are resisting a change, ask yourself:

What would my role model do next?

How would my role model dress?

How would my role model approach this situation?

Would I be proud to show my role model this project/space/idea?

I have always had very glamorous role models. I admire self-respecting, graceful women who show up in heels and lipstick. I am rarely in heels or lipstick. In fact, until last month, I never wore more than a kitten heel on my shoes! Because I am striving to act as if I am already the success I wish for, I have a new pair of 4” heels I’m wobbling around on–I practice walking in them as I do house chores, and I look quite silly doing it. However, if I am going to be as glamorous as my role models, I have to change the habit of showing up in my tennis shoes! What habit can you adopt that will help you begin to act as if you already have what you want?

Create a Plan B and be stoked about it. I have a life-changing Plan A that I am working on this year. I want Plan A so badly that I can taste it! I have a visualization mapped of how it will all unfold. I often get carried away in daydreams and I practice my reaction to Plan A coming true in the mirror. I love Plan A.

So that my desire for Plan A doesn’t turn into desperation, I have carefully drafted a second place prize: Plan B. In Plan B, I still achieve the feelings I desire, I just have to practice more patience to reach the ultimate goal and rewards in Plan A.

Paris, France

For example, let’s say you have always wanted to learn to speak French. You buy a course that will teach you the language, and then you set a rewarding Plan A. “If I get to third level French by the end of next year, I will travel to my dream destination of Paris, France for one week. I will become affluent in the French language, using the week to practice speaking with Parisians.”

Now, that’s a pretty lofty goal, but just imagine it! Picture yourself on the streets of Paris in the springtime speaking French. Allow daydreams galore in which Plan A unfolds in all of its glory.

As you envision Plan A, you might realize there are some obstacles in your way. It’s an expensive vacation, where will you get that much money if you can’t start saving now? How will you take the time off work? Maybe you’ve never left the country before and the thought of traveling to Europe starts to overwhelm you.

So that Plan A doesn’t become desperate or hopeless, you need a hearty Plan B. In Plan B, you still learn French. Your goal of learning a language you have always loved will still be complete. Only now, instead of Paris for the week, you change it to Quebec for the weekend. You still get to practice your French with native speakers, and it’s still a pretty romantic vacation. In fact, achieving Plan B will get you closer to Plan A. You’ll practice leaving the country, you’ll practice finding your way in a foreign city, and you’ll practice the French language. I’d bet that once you arrive in Quebec and conquer that trip, Paris will suddenly feel very doable.

Keep your vision front and center. My Pinterest boards are dotted with gorgeous, high-heeled shoes. I have pictures that represent my idea of glamour all over my office walls: glamorous quotes, places, images, homes, bedding, etc. To me, glamour is a value and I am compelled to honor it.

Whether you acknowledge them or not, your values are present in your life: they show up in the images you are drawn to, the people you admire, and the goals you set for yourself. Be grateful that you are surrounded by so much of what you love. Create a vision board and collect these reflections. Appreciating them will only bring more of what you want into your life.